Afforestation on Power Line Rights-of-Way Using Speckled Alder (Alnus rugosa)

摘要

Many energy-generating utilities in the United States and Canada are investing heavily in forestcarbon management, specifically carbon sequestration projects, to offset emissions of greenhousegases. The simplest of these projects involves planting trees to create forest carbon sinks. InCanada, the driving force behind such activity is the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol requir-ing greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Nova ScotiaPower Inc. has been actively planting shrub seedlings on power line rights-of-way since 1994 toestablish sustainable compatible vegetative communities. The vast majority of the seedlings usedfor this purpose are speckled alder (Alnus rugosa). As the company is committed to exploring op-tions to offset greenhouse gas emissions, the opportunities related to speckled alder plantationsas a forest carbon management project are being reviewed. In 2003, a three-year project betweenNSPI and the Canadian Forest Service was initiated to explore and develop partnership arrange-ments for promoting forest carbon management on private lands and power line rights-of-way.The company will undertake the afforestation of 375 ha of power line rights-of-way by plantingspeckled alder. Initial results indicate that the potential for speckled alder to sequester carbon issubstantial.